


Screaming in the dark

by Books_4_life



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: First Meeting, Growing Up, Hurt/Comfort, Injured Alec, M/M, Protective Magnus Bane, Young!Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-18 05:07:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14846387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Books_4_life/pseuds/Books_4_life
Summary: As a child, Alec saves Magnus from the Clave, who is holding him captive unjustifiably.Magnus wants to pay him back one day.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I just had this idea and wanted to write it down. The Story will probably have 3-4 chapters, please tell me what you think so far!
> 
> Enjoy!

Alec couldn’t sleep. Every time he was close to falling asleep he heard it again. Screaming, from the basement of the institute. 

The institute was a scary place at night. It had never bothered Alec before, with his parents next door he had always known he was safe. 

But today it was different. His parents had to go to Idris for business, taking along little Isabelle, but deciding that five-year-old Alec was old enough to stay in New York alone. He had to continue his training after all. 

Alec had been honoured and had tried to train extra hard that day. When he finally went to bed he thought he would fall asleep immediately. But he didn’t, the mysterious screams keeping him awake. 

Carefully Alec got up, grabbed his dagger – a present from his father – from the nightstand and left the safety of his room. 

The institute was dark and deserted and Alec reached the door to the basement without problems, quickly slipping in before anybody could catch him. The screams were louder here and Alec could make out words. “Please, I’m innocent! Let me out! Please… anybody… help me!” 

Alec carefully went down the stairs to the cells. He knew the Clave wouldn’t lock up someone, who hadn’t done anything wrong. But maybe they had made a mistake? Alec was determined to find out. 

Alec soon found the screaming man in one of the first cells. It was dark, but Alec could make out his cat eyes – a warlock. 

“Hello” Alec greeted him uncertainly. “I heard you screaming.” 

The man looked down at him, he was for sure twice his size. “Hello, little shadowhunter. I’m Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn.” 

“I’m Alec, Alexander Lightwood. Why are you down here?”

“The Clave thinks I was involved with Valentine. Which is a lie, no downworlder would help a monster like him, no matter what the Clave believes.”

“So… you’re innocent?” Alec asked quietly. 

“Yes, but the older shadowhunters won’t listen to me. They want to send me to the Silent City. That would be my death sooner or later.”

“But that’s wrong!” Alec exclaimed wide eyed. 

“The Clave isn’t always right, Alexander. You better learn that lesson fast.” 

Alec nodded silently. Then he asked: “Can I do anything to help you? I don’t want you to die.”

“I don’t know. You don’t have any runes yet, have you?” 

“No, I’m still in training.” 

“That’s a pity. A rune could have gotten me out of here in no time.”

“Maybe there is a key?” 

“No, I don’t think so. But there might be another way.”

“What?”

“I heard that some cells can be opened by the contact with shadowhunter blood, as long as the blood wasn’t shed in a fight. I don’t know if that’s true.” 

“Let me try. I want to help you.” Alec said determined. 

“Thank you, little shadowhunter.” Magnus smiled at the little boy and his cat eyes shone in the dim light. 

Alec grabbed the dagger carefully in his right hand and cut into his left one. It hurt like hell and only his training kept Alec from screaming. Instead he gritted his teeth and pressed his heavily blooding hand onto the metal cell door. 

There was a click and the door sprang open. The second Magnus had left the cell, he looked stronger, towering over Alec, a glamour now hiding his cat eyes. Alec realized for the first time, how dangerous this situation was. What had he been thinking? Magnus could easily kill him right now. 

But he didn’t. Instead he did a funny, waving gesture with his hands and blue magic erupted between them. It moved towards Alec’s injured hand and healed it. Within minutes only a small scar was visible. 

“That should be gone in the morning” Magnus said sheepishly. “I’ve never been good with healing spells.” 

“Thank you.” Alec said politely and was just grateful that he hadn’t been killed. 

Magnus waved his hands another time and Alec’s blood on the floor and the cell door vanished. “Now nobody will know you were involved in this. You can still become the best shadowhunter this world has ever seen.” 

“Thank you, Magnus. I will train very hard.” Alec promised. “Do you want to see my room?” 

“Your room?” Magnus asked, looking surprised. “I don’t think this is the right time. I should get out of here.” 

“You can’t. There’s a spell on the front door after curfew and you can’t portal in and out of the institute.” 

“So what should I do in your opinion, Alexander?” 

“Leave through my window. It’s safe, I promise. If anybody asks, I will just say that I leaned out to far and activated the alarm. That happened before.” 

“Good thinking, shadowhunter. Let’s do this your way.”

The way to Alec’s room was silent, they were wandering the halls in constant awareness that, if they should get caught, they would probably both die. Luckily they didn’t even get near a guard and when they reached Alec’s room they could finally breathe again. 

“Take care, Alexander. You will be a great shadowhunter one day.” Magnus said and kissed the little boy on his forehead. 

“Bye, Magnus. Don’t let the Clave catch you again.” Alec said honestly worried. 

“I won’t, don’t worry. I’m a master at hiding.” 

“Will we meet again?” Alec asked hopefully. 

“I hope so.” Magnus said, then he left through the window, into the dark night of a new moon. 

*** 

Nobody even bothered to ask Alec about Magnus’ disappearance, they were just too busy searching for him. Alec could continue his training, as if nothing had happened, but that just wasn’t true. He was a different person now. He was training even harder, determined to become the very best shadowhunter. He wanted to change the way things were for downworlders. How the Clave had locked up Magnus without a reason just wouldn’t leave his mind. He would bring him and the other downworlders justice – one day, when he was finally old enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2! 
> 
> Just to clarify, there passed quite a lot of time since the last chapter, so Alec is getting older. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Magnus had always been good at hiding, but in the last years he got perfect. It had been necessary, because the Clave wanted to see him dead. Now that he had escaped they were sure he was working with Valentine – as if he ever would! 

Luckily his friends Ragnor Fell, who happened to be the new High Warlock of Brooklyn, and Catarina Loss were still by his side and didn’t believe anything the Clave said. They were helping him hiding himself but it was getting harder day by day. 

“I still don’t get it.” Cat exclaimed one day. They were all sitting together in Ragnor’s loft, drinking cocktails and just relaxing after a long day. “That shadowhunter nearly got you today. Why don’t you just leave the city, go somewhere, where the Clave won’t find you? It would be easy for you, having your magic and everything.”

“You don’t understand, Cat. I can’t just leave. I promised someone.” 

“Who? I haven’t seen you talking to anyone except us since your escape and I’m keeping a very close eye on you at all times.” Ragnor chimed in.

“That’s none of your business.” 

“It is, I’m your friend.” Ragnor answered.

“Fine. His name is Alexander Lightwood.” Magnus sighed. “He was the one that rescued me.”

“A shadowhunter?” Ragnor asked incredulously. “Have you lost your mind?” 

“No, he wasn’t like the others. He’s special.”

“That is because he was a child. By now he probably hates downworlders like his parents. I mean, how old was he?”

“Five. He’s turning twelve this year.”

“Have you seen him again after that night?” Cat asked carefully. 

“Only from distance and in disguise. He’s growing to be a very powerful shadowhunter, just recently he got a parabatai.”

“Sounds like he has a lot on his mind. Maybe he has forgotten about you already? Or thinks you were a bad dream?” 

“There is only one way to find out. But I don’t think he forgot.” Magnus said determined. 

“No, Magnus, that’s way too dangerous!” Both his friends immediately exclaimed, but it was too late. Magnus had vanished in a portal. 

***  
Magnus stood in front of the institute, planning his next steps. He couldn’t just burst in and demand to talk to Alexander, they would probably kill him on sight. 

Thoughtfully, Magnus glanced up at the window that belonged to Alec’s room. The light was on, but Magnus wasn’t sure if Alec was alone. Magnus would wait till the light got out, because then it would be most likely that Alec was alone. Then they would talk, hopefully. No matter how sure he had acted in front of his friends, now that he was here, he was suddenly scared. 

Half an hour later the light got turned off. Magnus sneaked closer to the institute, careful not to be seen by the guards. Climbing up the rain water downpipe – the same he had climbed down years ago – he reached Alec’s window on the first floor. 

Magnus carefully glanced inside. It looked pretty much the same as seven years ago, plain and simple. They boy in the bed had changed though. He had grown a lot, he had to be nearly Magnus’ size already. Also his skin was covered in runes. But asleep he reminded Magnus very much of the little boy who had saved him ages ago.

Magnus knocked against the window and the boy opened his eyes. He hadn’t been fully asleep after all, just as Magnus had hoped. 

Alec looked at him with a strange look. Like he was surprised and wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. “Magnus? Is this a dream?” 

“No. Are you dreaming of me, Alexander?”

“Sometimes.” The boy blushed, while opening the window so that Magnus could climb in. Magnus thought he was completely adorable. 

“Well… why are you here?”

“I told you we would meet again.”

“I thought it would be earlier. Why did you leave? I have been waiting for years!” 

“I was waiting for the right time. I couldn’t let your shadowhunter friends catch me. But I never left. I was always there watching you from the distance.” 

“Then why did you come now? When I’m in the institute, surrounded by people who want to see you dead?” 

“Because… because I had to make sure that you don’t hate me. That you are still not like them.” Magnus hated how vulnerable he sounded.

“I could never hate you, Magnus. You always were like a guardian angel to me, shielding me when my parents told me I wasn’t good enough.” 

“I saw you fighting. You are a really good shadowhunter, if not the best.”

“Everybody else seems to think that Jace is much better.” 

“Your parabatai?” Alec nodded. “Well he has some fighting skills, I have to admit that, but you have so many other things. A sense for justice over all.” 

“Listen, I’m really sorry for how the Clave treats you. I wish I could change the way things are. But I’m just too young!” 

“Oh no, Alexander, don’t blame yourself. The only one responsible for this is the Clave.”

“Then I will change the Clave!" Alec said determined. 

“Just don’t put yourself in danger. Please, Alexander, promise me!”

“I promise, Magnus. But you have to promise not to disappear again.”

“Promise. Just try to sneak out sometimes and I will find you. I don’t want to be a stranger to you any longer.” 

“I don’t want that either. I can’t wait to see you again!” 

“Good night, Alexander!”

“Good night, Magnus! See you soon!” 

Alec closed his eyes and Magnus climbed out of the window again. 

*** 

Ragnor waited for him on the street. “You were in there for so long I thought they got you.” 

“They didn’t.” Magnus just smiled at him. 

“So he doesn’t hate you?” 

“No, he doesn’t. And he’s amazing!” 

“Are you in love?” Ragnor teased. 

“No! He’s basically still a child. But in a few years – who knows?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be up tomorrow :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me... *hides away*

Alec loved meeting with Magnus. Since he got older, he more often got assigned solo missions that Magnus more often than not joined. Demon hunting with him was fun, even if it were missions that didn’t even require the backup of his siblings and were accordingly easy. 

Apart from the missions they sometimes met when Alec’s siblings dragged him into a club. Alec didn’t like partying very much, but Magnus was very much worth it. He was always there in disguise, so Alec’s siblings wouldn’t find out and they had developed a kind of game where Alec would try to find Magnus as fast as possible. His record was less than a minute (It had been kind of obvious because Magnus had flirted with Alec the second he entered the club).

But lately he hadn’t had much time for clubbing. Since he got assigned Head of the New York Institute shortly after his nineteenth birthday, Alec had been working really hard, trying to keep the Clave satisfied, but at the same time starting to improve the conditions for downworlders in New York. 

Therefore Alec hadn’t seen Magnus in nearly two weeks, when he went on a mission with his siblings on this particular Saturday night. It was a dark night and it would probably rain later. Alec hoped they would be home by then. 

But of course the sky had other plans. They were a block away from the demon’s last position when it started to rain heavily. By the time they reached the alleyway, all three of them were soaked. 

“This better be fast.” Isabelle commented. “I can’t catch a cold just now. I have a date tomorrow.”

“Who is he?” Jace asked teasingly. 

“You don’t know him, I met him at a club.”

“Guys, let’s concentrate on the mission!” Alec chimed in. He knew his siblings could go on about topics like that forever. 

The two of them went silent and they all carefully entered the dark alley. There was no sign of a demon, or any other living creature. That was until they were halfway down the alleyway and a big shadow suddenly blocked the exit, seemingly having materialized out of thin air. 

The demon was big – nearly twice as tall as Alec and filling out the whole alley. He had glowing red eyes and at least two rows of sharp teeth in his mouth. His hands – he had four of them – were claws. Moreover he also had wings. 

Alec had never seen or heard of a demon like that. From the look of it, neither had his siblings. 

“Should we call for backup?” Isabelle asked quietly. 

“No” Jace answered easily. “I will take care of this, sis. Have my back.” 

“Always” Alec and Izzy promised instantly. Izzy activated her whip and Alec took a few steps back, so that he would be able to land a good shot, while taking an arrow out of the quiver. 

The fight was over surprisingly quick. Because of its size the demon was quite slow. And even though they had to hit the demon more than once – there hits would have been deadly for a lower demon – after not even fifteen minutes the fight was over and the demon only a pile of dust. 

Alec came over to his siblings to inspect what was left of the demon. “Does any of you have an idea what that was?” he asked his siblings. 

“No, I have never heard of something like this. Let’s head back to the institute and do some research, maybe we will find out something,” Jace suggested. 

“Sounds like a plan. I could really use a hot shower. The rain is killing me,” Izzy agreed. 

“Sure, let’s go home. I’ve got paperwork to finish.” Alec also planned to meet Magnus later that day but he didn’t tell his siblings. Nobody could know about them being friends after all. 

He turned around to leave the alleyway, seeing his siblings already standing at the end of the alley. Izzy turned her head to see if he was coming. Alec saw her eyes go wide and suddenly there was an unbearable pain in his left leg. 

Alec stumbled and fell down. His shadowhunter instincts kicked in and he somehow landed in a kneeling position, facing his attacker. It looked like a smaller, but no less deathly form of the demon Jace had killed. It was covered in dust. Alec distantly thought that it must have resurrected itself from his own ashes, like a phoenix. Just that a phoenix probably wouldn’t try to kill Alec like this little beast. 

Alec quickly took out his dagger – the very same dagger he had used ages ago to free Magnus – and slammed it into the demon when it tried to attack him again. The dagger stuck where his heart was supposed to be, but the demon didn’t dissolve. Instead it buried his teeth in Alec’s right shoulder, while his claws ripped Alec’s shirt. 

Then suddenly the demon flinched back and Alec distantly watched Izzy and Jace take down the demon once again. After they were sure it was really dead this time, they hurried over to Alec. 

“Come on, brother. Let’s get you back to the institute.” Izzy tried to help Alec stand up, but his injured leg would always give back in. Jace tried drawing iratzes around the wound, but they faded away quickly without any real effect. 

“It’s poisoned. He needs a warlock” Jace stated. 

“I know one.” Alec forced the words out of his mouth, even though speaking hurts. “Catarina Loss, she’s an excellent healer.” Alec couldn’t remember how many times Magnus had told him about her. 

“She lives in this area.” Jace said, checking the address on his phone. “Let’s go, we have to hurry.” 

Alec didn’t know how he managed to stay conscious on the way to Cat’s apartment, but somehow he did. But it wasn’t Cat who opened the door. Instead Alec spotted a familiar face – Magnus in one of his favourite disguises. It partially faltered when he locked eyes with Alec’s and the last thing he could see before the world turned dark were Magnus’ cat eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Magnus felt like being dipped into a bucket of ice water. Alec – his Alexander – looked like he was on the brink of death. He was pale like a ghost, his clothes were torn and his whole body was covered in bruises and little scratches. And then there were the bigger wounds, on his shoulder and left leg. They were bleeding way too much for Magnus liking. He couldn’t lose Alec before he even really belonged to him. 

Magnus had been in love with Alec for quite a while, but he had never dared to tell him, too scared to lose the boy, if he shouldn’t feel the same. And now maybe he would never get the chance to tell him. 

“We are looking for Catarina Loss. Our brother needs a healer.” The girl demanded. 

“She’s not home. She got called in for an accident, a hurt werewolf or something. But I can take care of your brother.”

“What’s your name, warlock? I’ve never seen you around.” The blonde shadowhunter, Jace, asked suspiciously. 

“That doesn’t matter right now. Let me take care of your brother or he will die!” Magnus said firmly. 

“Fine.” Isabelle agreed after an insufferably long silence. 

Jace helped carry Alec into Cat’s guest room, then Magnus shut the door into the shadowhunters’ faces. 

*** 

Magnus was thankful for every bit of healing he knew. He may not be an expert like Cat, but over the years he had learned enough to at least keep Alec alive. Magnus had managed to draw the poison out of his system and closed the two bigger wounds, but still Alec had lost lots of blood and Magnus hadn’t had the strength to replace it. He hadn’t healed the smaller wounds either. Some iratzes should take care of that. 

Exhausted Magnus lay down to rest a little. He fell asleep in no time.

*** 

Loud voices woke him up. With a dizzy head he sat up and took in the scene in front of him. Alec was still sleeping, but the small cuts were gone, and his cheeks had regained some colour. All he needed at this moment was rest. 

The rest of the room didn’t seem to grant that. Cat was back and the two shadowhunters were arguing with her. Magnus quickly noticed that they were arguing about him. Without his disguise, Jace had been able to recognise Magnus. He seemed to think they should turn Magnus in. Isabelle on the other hand seemed unsure on what to think. Maybe Magnus was a traitor, but at least he saved Alec’s life, that had to be something. Cat was trying to convince them that Magnus was innocent. 

Magnus cleared his throat and made them all turn towards him, Jace with a seraph blade in hand. “Explain yourself!” he demanded. 

“Fine, but you have to listen to me till the end. It’s quite a story” Magnus required. After everybody had confirmed that, he started to tell the story – it was the first time he ever told anybody the whole story. 

“All those years ago, the shadowhunters captured me, because they thought I was working with Valentine – which I’m not, just to make this clear in the beginning. But the shadowhunters just wouldn’t believe that, no matter what I said. They were convinced I was guilty and wanted to send me to the City of Bones. I was desperate, so I called for help. Alec heard me.” 

“Alec?” Jace cut in, surprised. “He has something to do with this?”

“He has very much to do with this. But didn’t I tell you not to interrupt me?”

“Yeah sorry. Continue.” 

“Well, Alec found me and opened the cell. He had no runes at that time yet, so he had to cut himself to get me out. He was so brave and selfless and didn’t even care that I was just a downworlder. He sneaked me out of the institute and last thing before I left I told him we would meet again. That’s why I stayed in New York even though the shadowhunters were looking for me there. After a while they gave up searching actively, but they were still a threat. I kept myself hidden for many agonizing years, until I just couldn’t stand it anymore. Then I visited Alexander. We started seeing each other more regularly the past few years.” 

“So, you and Alec are friends?” Jace asked. 

“Yes, we are.” Magnus said. They didn’t need to know that he was in love, not when he didn’t know about Alec’s feelings. Considering the look Izzy gave him though, she seemed to sense that there was more to this story. 

“We will wait for Alec to wake up, before we decide anything.” Jace determined. 

“No need to wait.” 

Magnus turned around to the boy lying next to him. “Alexander, how are you feeling? Any lingering pain?” 

“Surprisingly well, just a little headache. I should probably drink something then I’ll be as good as new.” Alec smiled at Magnus encouragingly. 

Magnus quickly conjured up a glass of water, then he checked Alec over with his magic to see if there were any injuries left, but he seemed fine.

Still Magnus couldn’t help but fuss a little more. “Do you need anything else? Maybe some food? Or more rest? You should definitely sleep a little more!” 

“Later,” Alec waved it off. “I have to talk to my siblings right now. Alone.” 

Magnus and Cat left the room. They didn’t talk until the door opened again, there was no need to. Cat knew exactly what Magnus was feeling and what else was there to talk about right now? 

When the door opened, Jace and Isabelle came out. They said their good byes, thanked Cat that Alec was allowed to stay the night and left the apartment. Magnus then took their place at Alec’s side. 

They were silent for a while, Magnus having to keep himself from asking Alec if he was really feeling fine again. 

It was Alec who spoke first. “You know Izzy said something… about… you know… us.” 

“Well, she is right. I am in love with you. Have been for years.” Magnus quickly said, before he could change his mind. 

“You are? Why didn’t you say anything? I’ve had a crush on you for ages, but I was so sure you would never like me back.” 

“I didn’t want to lose our friendship in favour of an unrequited love. Can you forgive me for not telling you sooner?” 

“Of course. So… I like you… you like me… do you want to… like maybe grab dinner sometimes?” 

“You mean like a date?” Magnus asked.

“Like a date. Of course your little problem with the Clave won’t turn into dust, but I do think we can have a chance together.” 

“I think so too. I save you, you save me. We are the perfect couple.” 

They hugged and everything felt perfect. Who cared about the Clave anyway?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last chapter, it's kind of like an epilogue so no real action here. I hope you liked the Story!

Of course it wasn’t that easy. Alec did care about the Clave, so they had to keep their relationship secret for almost five years. Especially because Alec was still determined to improve downworlder rights and make an impact. And therefore he needed a high position in the Clave. 

But with being Head of the New York Institute he had been half way there already. And the shadowhunters were changing, the younger generations becoming more open minded towards downworlders and the mundane world. 

So when Magnus proposed to Alec in front of the entire Clave, nobody could do anything against it, the older shadowhunters being silenced by the young ones supporting them. 

Alec and Magnus then continued to work for downworlder rights together. Soon after becoming part of the Clave, Alec had proved Magnus innocence and Ragnor had been more than happy to give him back the High Warlock position. So they had quite a lot of influence among shadowhunters and downworlders. 

Alec was proud of the changes they had made. The downworlders positions had improved very much and Alec was planning to improve them more, until they were seen as equal to shadowhunters. After all they were all human, at least partly. 

The biggest change had been made just recently, allowing marriage between shadowhunters and downworlders, so after nearly three years of being engaged, Alec and Magnus were about to marry in a few weeks. Alec couldn’t wait for it. Since he had been a child – since Magnus appeared at his window that night – he had never pictured himself growing up with anyone else. And they had made it so far, defying the Clave, prejudiced downworlders and even Alec’s parents who wanted him to marry some respectable shadowhunter girl. 

After more than twenty years since their first meeting Alec still could hear Magnus screaming in the dark. He never wanted to hear that sound again. The only person who would make Magnus scream was him, he swore to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think about the Story? Feel free to leave kudos, comments, ...


End file.
